Inhaler



(No Model.)

J. BYRNES.

INHALER.

No. 366,759. Patented July 19, 1887.

N, PETERS. Pnom-ulho m hm. Washingtnm D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT 1 Erica,

JAMES BYRNES, OF NATIONAL SOLDIERS HOME, VIRGINIA.

INHALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,759, dated July 19, 1887,

Application filed pril 23, 1887. Serial No. 23.3,F88.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BYRNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at National Soldiers Home, in the county of Elizabeth City and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Inhalers and tespirators, of which the following is a specification.

Myinventiou relates to an improvement in inhalers and respirators; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for protecting the throat and lungs of persons working in manufacturing establishnieuts where a great deal of dust and gas are generated, and which shall be adapted to be secured to the head of the wearer in such a manner as not to interfere with the free movement of his limbs and person.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved inhaler and respirator, show ing the manner of applying the same to a persons face. Fig. 2 is perspective view of my improved inhaler and respirator from the rear side thereof, parts of the cloth cover being broken away in order to disclose interior structures. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the funnel for holding the sponge. Fig.4 is avertieal sectional view of the mask.

A represents the mask or guard, which is adapted to fit over the nose and mouth of the wearer. The said guard and mask comprise a frame, B, having a central forward-projecting sleeve or thimble, 0, provided with a flange, D, at its rear end, a collar, E, made of wire, and surrounding the sleeve or thimble at the base thereof, a series of radially-curved wire arms or ribs, F, projecting from the said collar and attached thereto, and a base-wire, G, attached to the outer end of the ribs or arms The upper side of the base-wire G is bent upward to form a loop, H, adapted to fit over the bridge of the nose of the wearer, and thereby suspend the mask or guard therefrom. The frame of the mask or guard is covered with cloth, india-rubber, or other suitable material, I, the rear edge of which is sewed around the base-wire G, and the front side of which is (No model.)

provided with a central opening through which the sleeve or thimble 0 projects.

K represents an elastic strap, which has one end attached firmly to one side of the guard or mask, is adapted to pass over the ears and back of the head of the wearer, and is pro vided at its opposite end with snap-hook, L, adapted to engage an eye or loop, M, provided on the opposite side of the protector or mask. From the said elastic strap,on one side thereof, depends an elastic loop, N, in which is sup ported a flexible tube, 0. The front end of this tube is secured on the front end of the sleeve or thimble G, and the rear end of the tube is passed through the loop N, and is attached to a sponge cup or funnel, I. The said sponge cup or funnel is provided with a nozzle or sleeve, It, that is adapted to be inserted either in the end of the tube or directly in the end of the sleeve or thimble 0 when it is not desired to use thetuhe. One side of the sponge cup or funnel is provided with a loop or eye, S, and the opposite side thereof is provided with a hook, T.

U represents a wire guard which has one end pivoted to the loop or arm F, and the opposite end provided with an eye, U, adapted to fit on the hook P, so as to secure the wire guard transversely on the open side of the spongecup. I The said wire guard is bent throughout its length first in one direction and then in the contrary direction, thereby giving it a zigzag or serpentine shape, and causing the same to bear on a larger portion of the sponge secured in the sponge-cup than it otherwise would, and thereby prevent the sponge from dropping out of the sponge-cup.

In practice the sponge is saturated with water, and the air for breathing passes through 2 the pores of the sponge and through the tube into the guard or mask in front of the wearers face, which excludes dust from the mouth and nostrils. The particles of dust in the air become lodged in the sponge, and are thereby prevented from finding their way to the mouth and nostrils of the wearer.

The operation of my invention will be very readily understood from the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, and it will be observed that the loop Non the elastic strap serves to support the rear end of the tube and the sponge-cup, so that the latter will not dangle from the face of the wearer and annoy and inconvenience him and interfere with his free movements.

Having thus described my invention, I claim---- I 1. In an inhaler and respirator, the guard or mask comprising the sleeve or thimble O, the curved ribs F, projecting radially therefrom, the base-wire G, attached to the outer ends of the ribs and bent to give shape to the base or rear edge of the mask, and the cover stretched over the ribs and secured to the base-wire, the said cover having the central opening through which the front end of the sleeve or thiniblc projects, substantially as (lescribed.

2. In an inhaler and respirator, the combination of the mask or guard A, having the thimble or sleeve 0 projecting from its front side, the flexible tube detachably secured to the said thimble or sleeve, and the sponge-cup having the spout or nozzle adapted to be secured to the mask, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the mask or guard, the strap to secure the same to the face of the wearer, said strap being adapted to pass my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

* JAMES BYRNES. Vitnesses:

E. G. SIGGERS, MYRT E STALNAKER. 

